H-1B scrutiny should not hurt US innovation, says Indian diaspora group

The Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies (FIIDS) has welcomed tighter scrutiny of H-1B visa applications, but cautioned that it should not come at the cost of American innovation, as jobs requiring highly specialised skills cannot always be filled immediately from the available domestic labour pool.

The statement from FIIDS, an advocacy group, came hours after US President Donald Trump tightened oversight of the H-1B visa programme, contending that it had been widely misused by certain employers, including IT outsourcing firms.

"FIIDS appreciates and understands the Administration's intent to protect America's national and economic interests, safeguard American workers, and address abuse of the H-1B program.

Those are legitimate objectives," Khanderao Kand, Chief of Policy and Strategy at FIIDS, said in a statement on Friday.

He said the ability of the US to attract exceptional talent has made it the world's leading innovation economy.

"In fields such as artificial ...